The Pokémon Company announced the establishment of the first permanent Pokémon franchise-themed outdoor entertainment park in Tokyo, scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026, The Asahi Shimbun reported. The attraction, named PokePark Kanto, is set to be located inside the Yomiuriland amusement park in the western part of the city and will…
A water leak at the Louvre last month damaged several hundred books in the museum’s Egyptian antiquities department. The incident highlights ongoing infrastructure problems at the world’s most visited museum, Reuters reported. According to art news site La Tribune de l’Art, aging pipes damaged between 300 and 400 specialized research…
According to Romania Journal, Romania plans to build a new amusement park dedicated to Dracula. The project, named DraculaLand, is set to rise near the capital, Bucharest, and close to its main airport, covering 160 hectares. The estimated cost of the development is €1 billion. A team of international architects…
Shymkent, Kazakhstan, has been recognized for its achievements in sanitation, while Astana may host the World Toilet Summit, according to Kazakhstani journalist Askhat Niyazov, who shared a letter from the World Toilet Organization (WTO) on Instagram. The letter also notes that Miras University Rector Nurken Khalykbergen has been included in…
This December, visitors to Art Basel in Miami could see robotic quadrupeds fitted with silicone faces of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Andy Warhol, Mark Zuckerberg, Pablo Picasso and Mike Winkelmann, the artist who came up with the idea, as reported by CNN. According to Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, his…
New Zealand Police have recovered a valuable Fabergé locket after a man allegedly swallowed it during a theft at an Auckland jewelry store. Officers retrieved the limited-edition piece nearly a week later, after it passed through the suspect’s body naturally, according to the Associated Press. The locket, inspired by the…
Salvador Plasencia, a 44-year-old doctor from Los Angeles, has admitted to illegally supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to Perry’s fatal overdose in 2023. Plasencia pleaded guilty to several counts of distributing the drug and has been sentenced to prison, The Guardian reported. Perry, who…
The Winter Egg, a diamond-studded crystal Fabergé egg that once belonged to the mother of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, has sold for a record $30.2 million at a Christie’s auction in London, compared to the previous record of $11.8 million for another Fabergé egg sold at an auction…
There are 25 five-star hotels in Kazakhstan and the most expensive one turned out to be in Shymkent. According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, 3,198 rooms were available in the country’s top hotels for wealthy tourists from January to September 2025. This includes 2,463 standard rooms in five-star hotels,…
Franklin the Turtle, a gentle cartoon hero from Canada known for kindness and everyday life lessons, recently featured in an image shared online by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, portraying the turtle attacking boats labeled as drug traffickers, according to the BBC. The image drew immediate criticism from the…
An unusual new product from H&M has stirred up conversation among fashion fans. The retailer introduced a pair of brown pumps completely covered in faux fur. Priced at $60, the shoes nearly sold out within days. The pumps, designed with a narrow heel and rounded toe, include a satin lining…
Speed dating has long been part of urban culture in the West and is now gradually taking hold in Kazakhstan. Interest in the trend is growing rapidly in Almaty, the nation’s largest city, as more residents seek face-to-face communication away from screens and algorithms. Offline format Speed dating is a…
The last weekend of November became a true celebration for dog owners in China, as several movie theaters across different cities held special screenings of «Zootopia 2,» allowing audiences to attend with their pets. Adorable photos from the events quickly went viral on social media, sparking a wave of affection…
An aquarium in central Japan has set up an unusual attraction — a Christmas tree with lights powered by electric eels, NHK World reported. Until Dec. 25, Toba Aquarium is offering visitors the chance to admire the five-meter tree lit by three eels in a tank near the attraction. The…
The video by travel content creator Nikolai Gladkov showing frozen Song Kul — one of the most picturesque alpine lakes in Kyrgyzstan — is going viral. Users compare its azure ice texture to that of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, and note that the landmark is definitely worth visiting.…
Rolan Anatoly, a resident of Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan, cycled roughly 8,000 kilometers to reach the holy city of Medina. The journey took him 44 days — the time it took to travel from Central Asia to Islam’s second-holiest city. His route passed through several countries, including Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia,…
The influence of innovative anti-obesity drugs (GLP-1 drugs) such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other so-called «slimming shots» has clearly moved far beyond the pharmacy. The impact of these game-changers is now visible in mass-market retailers, on red carpets, and even on restaurant menus. Notably, the share of U.S. adults taking…
In October, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that iconic thrash metal band Megadeth could perform in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstani Kaisar Zhuman told Kursiv that the group’s frontman Dave Mustaine personally shared that the band planned to hold a concert in Kazakhstan during a meet and greet session at the concert in London. Today,…
The painting «The Survivors» by Russian marine artist Ivan Aivazovsky set a new price record at Sotheby’s after being sold for £4.188 million, the highest price ever paid for a work by the artist. Dated to 1878, «The Survivors» is the largest painting by Aivazovsky ever offered for public sale.…
For years, the Maldives has been a symbol of luxury vacations, with its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. The island nation is still known for its overwater villas, private islands and prices reserved for the ultra-wealthy. However, the paradise islands are no longer just for the rich and honeymooners with…
Chinese tech giant Huawei has presented Smart Hanhan — an emotional-support AI plush companion. The toy was showcased alongside the Mate 80 smartphone line, with all three models selling out shortly after sales began, Gizmochina reported. Smart Hanhan is a compact plush toy standing 8 centimeters and weighing 140 grams.…
Rikhi Ram, a man from a small village in the Sirmaur district, India, had lost his memory in a car accident and hadn’t been in touch with his family for 45 years. However, not so long ago, he ended up in another accident that helped him recover his memories, NDTV…
Almaty offers more ice rinks for lovers of active winter holidays. Renowned mountain resort Shymbulak welcomes visitors on a new open-air ice rink. The official opening is scheduled for Dec. 6, with free entry and presents for visitors included. Organizers are promoting the ice rink as the world’s most high-altitude…
As the year draws to a close, Brazil’s iconic floating Christmas tree was inaugurated on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo Cove. Although this is a relatively new tradition, it has already become one of the city’s highlights during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Euronews reported. Positioned about 100…
